Boa Constrictor
Boa constrictor · Boidae
Also called: Red-tailed Boa, Common Boa
A famous, non-venomous constrictor and popular pet. It subdues prey by constriction and is generally docile, though a large boa is still a powerful animal.
What the Boa Constrictor looks like
How to identify it
- 1Tan to brown body with darker saddle-shaped blotches
- 2Reddish-brown 'saddles' that intensify toward the tail
- 3Heavy body with a clear arrow mark on the head
- 4Smooth, iridescent scales
Snakes it's confused with
Far bulkier, olive-green and semi-aquatic.
Behavior & danger to humans
Usually calm; bites only when threatened. Not venomous.
✓ Good news: Non-venomous. Large individuals are strong but rarely a threat to people.
Related snakes
Non-venomousCorn Snake
Pantherophis guttatus
A harmless, beneficial constrictor and one of the most popular pet snakes in the world. Frequently mistaken for the venomous copperhead.
Non-venomousEastern Ratsnake
Pantherophis alleghaniensis
A large, harmless constrictor and one of the best natural rodent controllers around homes and farms. Juveniles are gray and blotched, leading to copperhead confusion.
Non-venomousNorthern Watersnake
Nerodia sipedon
A harmless aquatic snake constantly killed out of fear that it is a cottonmouth. It bites readily when grabbed but has no venom.
Non-venomousScarlet Kingsnake
Lampropeltis elapsoides
A harmless coral snake mimic. Its red bands touch black bands — 'red touches black, friend of Jack' — separating it from the venomous coral snake.